hemp

noun

ˈhemp How to pronounce hemp (audio)
1
a
: a tall widely cultivated Asian herb (Cannabis sativa of the family Cannabaceae, the hemp family) that is cultivated for its tough bast fiber and edible seeds and oil and that is often separated into a tall loosely branched species (C. sativa) and a low-growing densely branched species (C. indica)

Note: Cultivated hemp is often distinguished from cannabis by possessing very low levels of the psychoactive substance THC.

b
: the fiber of hemp
… hemp can produce superb paper and construction materials lighter and stronger than lumber.—Ted Williams
—often used before another noun
hemp rope
a hemp shirt
c
: marijuana
also : hashish
2
: a fiber (such as jute) from a plant other than the true hemp
also : a plant yielding such fiber

Examples of hemp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What Is the Difference Between Cannabis, Hemp, and Marijuana? Cannabis, hemp, and marijuana are all names for varieties of the Cannabis plant. —Anna Miller, Sacramento Bee, 26 Apr. 2024 Map of where hemp is grown in Indiana Is delta-8 good for anxiety? —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2024 Currently, people 18 and older in Florida are allowed to buy CBD products, including oils and topicals, from authorized sellers if the product has 0.3% or less of THC and was extracted from the hemp plant. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024 As with many traditional marijuana products, those derived from hemp are also often packaged in a way that looks similar to candy. —Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination; Amy Yurkanin, Al.com; John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024 House of Marley products are constructed with renewable bamboo and REWIND fabric made from 30% reclaimed organic cotton, 30% reclaimed hemp and 40% recycled PET. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024 Amid heavy industry lobbying, some states began legalizing hemp in various products. —Julie Creswell, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 They are made with high quality, USA-grown hemp with 5mg of THC plus 25mg of CBD per serving. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024 Recently, a friend turned me on to his favorite post-workout treat: a smoothie mixed with a spoonful of ground hemp seeds. —Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hemp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hænep; akin to Old High German hanaf hemp, Greek kannabis

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hemp was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing hemp

Dictionary Entries Near hemp

hemozoon

hemp

hemp agrimony

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Hemp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemp. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

hemp

noun
ˈhemp How to pronounce hemp (audio)
1
: a tall Asian herb widely grown for its tough woody fiber that is used to make rope and for its flowers and leaves from which are obtained various drugs (as hashish and marijuana) that affect the mind or behavior
2
: the fiber of hemp

Medical Definition

hemp

noun
ˈhemp How to pronounce hemp (audio)
1
: a tall widely cultivated Asian herb of the genus Cannabis (C. sativa) that is cultivated for its strong woody fiber and edible seeds and oil and that is often separated into a tall loosely branched species (C. sativa) and a low-growing densely branched species (C. indica)

Note: Cultivated hemp is often distinguished from cannabis by possessing very low levels of the psychoactive substance THC.

2
: the fiber of hemp
3
: marijuana sense 1
also : hashish

More from Merriam-Webster on hemp

Nglish: Translation of hemp for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hemp for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hemp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

What’s the difference between ‘hillbilly’ and ‘redneck’?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

9 Superb Owl Words

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Your Favorite Band is in the Dictionary

Etymologies for Every Day of the Week
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...